Nexus 5

Google has finally let out the OTA update that will bring the Nexus 5 to Android 5.1 land. This follows the release of factory images and binaries for several of the supported Nexus devices. However, if you are quite excited to get the latest and supposedly greatest Android version, you might want to exercise caution, as some users are reporting a rather dreadful bug in this release that causes Android to eat up RAM like crazy, even if you have more than 1 GB of it.

As Google prepares to release the highly-anticipated Nexus 6, what will become of its predecessor, the Nexus 5? Well apparently, it will slowly go away and sink into oblivion until it is eventually forgotten. Okay, nothing as dramatic as that, we promise, but it is indeed the end of the line for the smartphone as Google will reportedly stop selling the Nexus 5.

Although it seemed that Google was hunkering down on its device offerings, at least those it sells through Google Play Store, it might be making some concessions in light of recent revelations. It has quite silently switched the 2013's Nexus 5 to back to "in stock", perhaps to offset the difficulty in procuring a Nexus 6. Together with the Nexus 6 and the Nexus 9, these three devices seem to be Google's final Google Play Store lineup as far as smartphones and tablets are concerned.

Xiaomi's MIUI won't be the only game in town soon, especially on the Nexus 5. The Chinese-made custom ROM has had many fans, but it seems like Meizu wants a piece of that pie as well. A leaked image of this Chinese manufacturer's custom-made Flyme OS 4 for the Nexus 5 has popped up and is making rounds over the net. And while the brave first testers described the ROM as "beautiful", subsequent tests revealed showstopper bugs that definitely confirms this image as an unofficial beta version.

It’s worth remembering that only weeks ago, Google released its first patch to Android 5.0 (which was 5.0.1) for the Nexus 5 and then the more current Nexus 6. We thought that was going to be it for a while, but just recently Google released its second patch 5.0.2 for the 2012 version of the Nexus 7 tablet, skipping the first patch altogether for a more current build.

The circle seems to be complete and Google has finally uploaded the rather mysterious Android 5.0.1 to the Nexus 5 as well. This practically finishes the release of this rather unexpected Lollipop update, which first began with the Nexus tablets and then the Nexus smartphones, sans the Nexus 5, at least until now. In the meantime, T-Mobile has also received the update and has started pushing it to both the Nexus 5 as well as the more current Nexus 6.

Most of us would probably die (okay,not literally) if we cannot touch our smartphones for more than a day. It's not just a luxury or a recreational activity anymore but a necessity. But what about those who cannot use their hands or have lost the ability to do so? A new IndieGoGo project called Sesame Phone is trying to come up with one that can be used by these handicapable individuals.

Nexus owners, if you've been a bit jealous of the Moto G and, now, the Moto X getting their Lollipop on, you no longer need to feel unloved. Google has finally started the rollout of Android 5.0 to its blessed line of smartphones and tablets, so all you'll have to do is to wait for it to land. But, if you're really excited to get the dessert now and don't mind starting from scratch, there is always the Factory Image path available for you to take.

This has been a big week for Android fans with Android Lollipop having been rolled out this week and the new Nexus 6 smartphone that landed from Google. Typically, when Google rolls out a new Nexus device, the old one disappears only to be seen in the support pages and on eBay.

One of the worst things that can happen to you as a smartphone owner is dropping your device and cracking the screen. This is annoying because you have to spend money to replace the screen, and those replacements can be expensive. Google Play has kicked off a new screen replacement service that owners of the Nexus 5 smartphone will want to be aware of.